Dreams Don't Last
by longlivetayswift
Summary: When Connie Munroe finally gets her chance to live her dream, will it crush Sonny's? New Story! New Characters! Channy!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, everyone! Thanks for reading. In case you were wondering, No, I didn't die….I have just been crazy busy this summer. Well, I am super excited about this story, so…enjoy!**

_-Fall 2006: Sonny is 12 years old_

"Sonny! You won't believe this." Said Connie Munroe, running into her Wisconsin farm house. "What?" Sonny said curiously, walking out of her purple and orange room into the kitchen. "I got a job offer!" Connie said, exited. Sonny gasped. "Oh, Mom! That's amazing!-But what is it?" "Well, as you know, I've always had a passion for marine biology, and I have a degree…so…so…" "So…what?" Sonny asked impatiently. "I have been asked to work at the Advril Center of Marine Science!" "Oh Mom, that's amazing-but I've never heard of Advril before…Oh! It must be in Milwaukee."Connie's brow wrinkled. "Uh, Sweetie, that's the thing…it's in Tennessee." Sonny's expression changed. "Tennessee? But that's at the opposite end of the country! We have lived in Wisconsin for as long as I can remember-" then Sonny saw the disappointed expression on her mother's face. "-But…this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so…I say you go for it." Sonny said considerately. Thanks, sweetie. I knew you would understand.

Well, as fast as you can say 'Gouda, Havarti, Cheddar and Jack', Sonny was packing for the long trip to Tennessee. She looked around. Her room was empty…even her most precious belongings were covered in bubble wrap and thrown in a cardboard box. As far as she knew, most of her room was half way to Tennessee, since her dad left the day before, driving a moving truck there. She was devastated…but when she looked at her mother, she saw a sparkle in her eye; an extra bounce in her step, and it made it all worth it. The only thing left was her blank mattress…her friendly yellow walls were plastered with horrifying beige…her fuzzy chair, she assumed, was covered in cobwebs, placed in a dark, cold, dirty moving truck. "Life will never be the same." She thought, as she stuffed the last bit of clothes into a musty smelling cardboard box. Then she heard the doorbell ring."Sonny! Get the door, please!" She heard her mom yell. Sonny opened the door. "Hello, is this the Munroe residents? We are here to get the dog." Said a man with a deep voice. "Well, you must be mistaken…Spiffy isn't going anywhere; we had no intention of selling him." Sonny said, noticing the unusual echo of the empty white house. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I payed 500 dollars for a Golden Retriever, and I'm not leaving without one." Then Connie walked in. "Oh, Tom! Your finally here! It'll be just a second…Spiffy's in the back yard." Sonny was shocked. "But we're not selling him, right?"Sonny insisted. "Honey, I meant to tell you, but we can't bring a dog to Tennessee…we can't afford to pay 30,000 dollars for him to be boarded on the plane!" Connie replied. Sonny's looked even more depressed now; her expression fell down 5 more notches. Then she thought of an idea. It made her even more angry, but one thing she knew was that she would never let her loyal, beautiful Spiffy go to this smelly, angry man. "It's alright, Mom. I'll go get Spiffy for you. Just go pack." Sonny said. "Oh, Thanks Honey!" Connie replied. Then she motioned for the man to come in the kitchen with her. "Listen, I will give you a full refund if you leave _without _the dog." she whispered. "No way, no how, miss. I 'aint goin' no where." "What about 50 more." Sonny offered. "600, or I leave with it." Sonny gasped, but she what she had to do. "…alright. Come with me." She took him into her room and grabbed her piggy bank. She had been saving money for three years, so she could visit her best friend, Gabby, who had moved to New York two years ago. "Sorry, Gabbs. You're just gonna have to wait a little longer." She said to herself. Then she took a deep breath, picked up the bank, and dropped it on the marble counter, smashing it into a million pieces.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yo! OMG, sry 4 going all gangsta on u…I couldn't carry a swagger if my life depended on it! **** Enjoy! BTW, if you like this, read the story **_**Defying Gravity **_**by jaysheree. You will love it! Oh! And my inspiration for this is the song White Horse by Taylor Swift, so you can look it up on YouTube to set the mood! **

"Ugh! I hate this! Can't we just take off already and get it over with?" Sonny thought as she was sitting on the airplane watching the flight attendant walk through the safety procedures. Sonny started to feel a tear trickled from chocolate-brown eye, but hid her face so her mother couldn't see the broken heart Sonny wore. She took her last look at her beautiful Wisconsin-they were taking off from the Milwaukee airport, since West Appleton was so small. She reached in her Vera Bradley bag for a tissue-she knew she would need them. Then she heard the loud buzz of the engine and felt them start to move along the runway. Then a movie came on; it was some adventure flick. She looked across the aisle at her 9 year old brother, Brendon, and 5 year old sister, Vanna. They could care less about where they lived. Any ordinary older sibling would smirk then, but Sonny was different. She smiled at them, loving them so much. Then she fell asleep thinking about what awaited her in the land of grizzlies, volunteers, and country music.

"Sonny! Sonny! Wake up! We're here!" Sonny felt little hands shake her, and fluttered her eyes open to see Vanna over her, smiling. Sonny smiled back. The Munroes pushed through the crowded plane, excited to see their father and husband, Mark. "Daddy!" Vanna said, running up to her father walking in the Nashville airport, Brendon and Sonny following close behind. Then Brendon ran up, with the same reaction as his little sister. Sonny walked up casually to him, smiling. "Dad!" she said. Then she suddenly broke into a sprint and jumped on him, a reaction used only when she couldn't contain her excitement. "I tell you, I haven't seen anyone quite as sonny as you all week!" he said. Sonny laughed. She wouldn't have laughed as hard at the overly used joke, but she missed him so much that it seemed hilarious at the moment. Then they walked to baggage claim, and down the yellow brick road to the hotel.

It occurred to Sonny that the hotel couldn't be far from the Emerald City, considering they were in the Presidential Suite. "Man," she thought."These Advril people must be rich!" The room had a modern feel. It had bright, rainbow colors that reminded Sonny of her old room, making her feel at home. She let go of her suit case, only to see a maid run after her, pick up the suit case, and roll it off to unpack it. Then maid saw Sonny follow her and asked her if the room was 'to your liking, miss?' Sonny stepped into a pink and blue, butterfly plastered room- a dream-come-true. Sonny shook her head eagerly, and left. "Maybe It won't be so bad…apparently, this Advril thing is a high-paying job!" Sonny thought as she left the room. Then the hotel phone rang, and Connie answered. "Hello? ? Oh! President of Advril Science!" she then shot Sonny a glance injected with thrill, making sure she knew who called. Then all of a sudden, Connie's face fell to an impossible depression. "O-of course you can't turn it down…I _completely _understand, Sir. Yes, you can put me on the holding list. K. Thanks for letting me know…" Then she hung up, and lip quivered as she started to cry. "Pack your bags, honey…I lost the job."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, Guys! A little shout-out to **_**xElishax, reallyJavannah, and ChadluvsSonshine **_**for their wonderful reviews!**

_Summer, 2010_

"Sonny, are you sure you can't see? Don't lie." Chad said frantically. Chad was walking Sonny around the studio and he had just a blindfold over her eyes. "No, Chad. I can't see." Sonny said with a sigh, obviously not up to any games. "Good. Don't worry; I'll make sure you don't _crash into anything._" Chad assured her. After a minute or two of walking, Chad stopped."Ok, Sonny," he said, taking a deep breath. "I'm about to show you something I've never shown anyone before." "Aww, I bet it's something super romantic…oh! Maybe we are at a fancy restaurant! " Sonny thought to herself. Then they both stepped into a room, and Chad pulled off the blindfold. "Now, I present to you, Sonny Munroe, my dressing room!" Sonny was a little disappointed, but when she saw the room, she took it back. "Oh my gosh, Chad…this is unreal! I didn't think you could fit a taco bar in a dressing room!" She said starting to run over and grab a taco. Then Chad stopped her. "W-Wait, Sonny! I have something to show you!" Then Sonny stepped back with him. Then he told her to sit down on a navy blue couch. Then he went behind her and took something out of his pocket-it was a necklace! He put it around Sonny's neck and fastened it in the back. "Chad…this is beautiful!" she said shockingly. Then when Chad came back around to face her, she hugged him to pieces. She walked to a mirror to look at the necklace. It was a silver heart encrusted with many diamonds-dating Hollywood's favorite actor had its perks! Then she gave him a huge hug, again, and ran out of the dressing room.

"Mom! I'm home!" Sonny yelled as she hung her purse on a hook by the door and plopped on the couch. Then her mom walked in and sat beside her. "So how was your day-WOW! Where did you get that necklace?" Connie exclaimed. "Chad gave it to me!" Sonny replied with a puppy dog face. Then her mom gave her an 'aww' and ran back to her room to finish the Mackenzie Falls marathon. Sonny was admiring the necklace, when she spotted a message inscribed on the back:

_-Sonny_

_I hope you know that you are even more beautiful than all the beauties of the world. _

_Love, Chad_


	4. Chapter 4

"Sonny! Sonny, you won't believe what happened!" Connie screamed at Sonny when she came walking through their apartment door. "What!" Sonny asked, wondering what her mother would be screaming about now. "I got my job back!" Connie exclaimed. Sonny put on a puzzled face. "Mom, that's great, but I don't think you would wanna go all the way back to Wisconsin just so you could work at the cheese shop again-" Connie shook her head eagerly. "No, no! Remember that 'Advril for Marine Science' place? Well, they told me the person that took my place had retired, and that they would like for me to come back!" "Oh Mom, that's fantastic!-but, what about So Random?" Sonny realized. "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to come with me-being alone is out of the question. I'm sorry sweetie-that's just the way it's going to have to be."

Chad was walking back from lunch, and decided to relax in his dressing room for awhile. He flopped on the couch, but felt something under him…it was a, now crumbled, note from Sonny! He felt under him for awhile, until he found the familiar pink and blue stationary.

_Chad,_

_I need you to meet me at my dressing room now! It's urgent!_

_-Sonny_

Chad was worried that she could be hurt, so he practically _ran _to her dressing room. When he got there, he saw a disheveled Sonny, all balled up in a chair crying. He ran over to see what was wrong with his girlfriend. "Sonny, what happened?" he asked her urgently. "I'm leaving, Chad. That's all I have to say." She said, struggling to get the words out. "Sonny, why? Are you homesick? What did I do?" he asked urgently. "It's not you; My mom got an…amazing job offer in Tennessee and she's taking it. I have to leave the show." "No! Can't you just stay here?" "You don't know my mom: she'd never leave me alone for that long." Chad head fell, but then picked back up after he got an idea. "Then I'll go with you. I'll quit too." He offered. Then Sonny gasped. "No! If you do that, then you're letting everyone down. I _have _to go." "Well, when do you leave?" Sonny couldn't bear to tell him. "In the morning." She said lightly. "Sonny…I don't know what to say…" Then she walked out so it would be easier for both of them.

Sonny sleepily slugged out of bed at 5:00 the next morning; she had had a sleepless night. Her mom already had some cereal poured when she walked into the kitchen. Sonny took the glass of milk beside her, and poured it over the cereal. She changed from her red, plaid PJs to jeans and a Wisconsin Badgers T-shirt. Then, she packed a couple snacks for the long trip: an apple, Nutri-Grain bar, Go-Gurt, and celery sticks. Sonny and Connie drove for about 30 minutes to LAX for their 7:00 plane. Sonny walked into a news stand to buy a magazine, and sat down at the terminal. It was particularly packed at the airport that Saturday morning. Too bad Sonny Munroe didn't notice the handsome stranger sitting beside her…


	5. Chapter 5

…Sonny felt something fall out of her pocket, so she shoved her hands between the two plastic blue seats. She looked down in there, but didn't see anything. She reached for her phone to use as a light, but then realized that_ that _was what fell. Then, she heard a voice from beside her say, "Looking for this, ma'am?" She looked up-this voice was all too familiar to be a stranger's. "Looking for this?" he said. "CHAD!" Sonny exclaimed. There was Chad, holding up her cow-print iPhone, smiling with an impossible height. Then she covered him in a massive bear hug. "What are you doing here? I thought I'd never see you again!" Sonny said with a little giggle, still clinging to Chad. Then Chad pried her off with his strong arms. "Sonny Munroe, I don't know about you, but _I _can't part with you without saying goodbye." "I-I can't believe you're here!" Then she couldn't resist another quick hug.

They walked for awhile, hand in hand, until they heard the message they dreaded most: "Now boarding, Rows 10-13 to Tennessee, Now boarding." Came sounding out of the airport intercoms. Chad walked her to the gates, all the way to the 'no visitors beyond this point' sign. "Well, I guess this is it." Sonny said, a single tear falling down her cheek. She smiled to try to break the tension, but that was the total opposite of the way she was feeling inside. "Sonny…don't leave-" Chad said, even though he knew it was no use."Chad, we knew this moment would come. We might as well make the best of it." Sonny said, trying to make it better. Then neither of them knew what to do, so they went their separate ways.

When Munroes pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, (The whole family reunited at the airport) it felt as if they were in another world than when they were in Tennessee 4 years ago. The hotel was a dump…actually, it couldn't quiet qualify as a hotel…the name was _'The Family Motel: Nashville's Favorite Budget Motel'._ "Usually, if something says 'budget' you can translate it to 'crappy'." Sonny said, using finger quotes. "I'm sorry, honey, but this is all the company could provide: the economy has gone down quite a bit since 2006." Connie said, reassuringly. "Well I don't think it's just the economy." Said Brendon, staring down at his iPod Touch. Brendon, now known as Brent, had turned into a sarcastic teenager, not afraid to speak his mind…in a bad way. "I think we can make the best of it, right mom?" said naive Vanna in her pink and blue Justice sweatpants. "Yes…sweetie." said Connie, _trying _to agree. When they found a parking space, (which wasn't hard, since there were only five other families staying there) they walked to the offices of the motel. The office looked straight out of the 70s with wood-paneled walls…actually, pretty everything was made of wood. There were candy machines by the door, though instead being filled with candy, it was filled with pistachios. There was a lounge with some orange couches and wimpy fireplace. By the lounge were stairs that led up to an upstairs loft. The railing was wrapped in garland and twinkle lights, which obviously hadn't been taken down since Christmas. The loft had a small kitchen/buffet area along with tables and chairs which were used for the continental breakfast.

"Hi, I'm Mark Munroe. We need to check in?" said Sonny's father, talking to the man behind the main desk. He had his feet propped up on the desk, and was eating a sandwich. Then the man perked up, and started to look over a list of names. "Munroe, Munroe, Munroe…" the man said to himself as he scanned the list. "I notice you don't use any computers, sir." Sonny noted. The man all of a sudden looked up at her, puzzled. " 'Cowm-pu-tey'? We don't use no 'cowm-pu-tey'!" The man said, swatting a fly away from his face. "HEY, EMAGINE! COME OVER AND HELP ME WITH THE LIST!" The man, Duke Manly, yelled to his wife. "She's not here, pa!" his, rather attractive, son said as he walked. "I'm sorry, folks. You'll have to excuse my pa, but welcome to Tennesse! My name's Jonathan Manly, but you can call me Johnny." All the Munroes either shake their head or waved at him. Then Johnny looked down at the list, and crossed out their names. Then Johnny showed them to their rooms. Sonny was horrified at the room: There was even more wood paneling, a bunk bed by the window, one double bed, a desk bearing a notepad, pen, phone, and coffee maker, all squished into a small hotel size room. _Yup, this is gonna be interesting… _Sonny thought.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, Mom! I am gonna go for a walk!" Sonny yelled while walking out the door. She strolled along the pavement of their motel, and passed the offices. Then she decided to go around the back; after all, there was a lake. She found a large rock overlooking the water, and sat down. She took a sketchpad and charcoal out of her purse, and began to draw a rough outline of the gorgeous lake scene."Hmmm. I bet America doesn't know that Hollywood's Sweetheart cannot only _write _sketches, but draw 'em too." Sonny heard a charming country accent say from behind her. She turned around to see Johnny smiling. "Hi….Jimmy, is it?" "Well, actually it's Johnny, but you can call me Jimmy if you'd like!" babbled Johnny. "No…Johnny's fine." whispered Sonny, awkwardly. "But, yeah. I like draw in my free time." Then Travis came around and sat on the rock next to Sonny. "But, how did you I was here?" asked Sonny. "Actually, I like comin' out here myself. It's beautiful, ain't it?" "Oh! I better go in…after all, this is _your _spot." Then Johnny grabbed Sonny's arm as she was getting up, and she stopped and looked back. "Don't go! Really it's fine. I usually get real lonely out here by myself, anyway." Then Sonny sat back down, relaxed. "Thanks, Johnny." Sonny said, emphasizing his name to make a point that she remembered it. Then they sat in silence for awhile. "Ya know, we've never had anyone real famous stay before. It's kinda exciting!" Johnny said. Then Sonny smiled at him, not knowing what to say. "JONATHAN! COME _EAT YER DANG BRUSSEL SRPOUTS!" _yelled his mother from the owner's suit behind them. "Well, I better go now, Sonny, but I'll see ya around." Sonny waved, "Bye, Johnny!"

Johnny and Sonny had many more evenings on the rock, and began to be great friends. After all, he was really her _only _friend in Tennessee. She had found out a lot about him: He just turned 19, and had lived in Tennessee. One starry night, they were sitting on the, as usual, and Johnny looked Sonny in the eyes like never did before. "Sonny, we've known each other how long; 3 months? Well, I've spent more time with you than anyone, and I think we both know we've become great friends, so…well, we're having a town dance tomorrow night down there on the dock, so…uh…" "What?" Sonny said with a giggle. "Well, I was wondering if you'd go with me?" Sony was about to say an eager yes, but something, or should I say some_one_ stopped her. "Oh, Johnny…I would LOVE to go with you, but I sorta have a boyfriend back in California: we talk every night…I mean, he's loyal to me, I just can't break his heart….but I'm sure there are many othe r girls who still need a date." Then Johnny looked down. "K." was all he could say. Then he got up and walked back to his house in silence. _Oh, great. What've i done? _she thought. But the truth was that, she liked him, too.

**A/N**

**Imagine Johnny as Travis from Hannah Montana: The Movie.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm so sorry that I haven't updated! Between School, Church, and Choir, I can't find the time to write! Well anyway, here's chapter 7! Oh! And also, I would so appreciate if you would comment…. It would make my day.**

Sonny heard the fiddle and banjo booming loudly from the dock as she hurriedly got ready for the hoedown. She wore a pretty cotton royal blue dress with yellow flats, and a long gold necklace. She was just finishing the last curl, when all of a sudden, she heard Vanna yell "Oh, Mom! You_ can't_ do this to me! Dad, Please, please, _please_ take it off-for my reputation's sake!" from the other room. Sonny ran out to see what all the commotion was about. Then all of a sudden she stopped dead in her tracks and her jaw dropped open. "So honey, what do you think?" Connie asked. Her mom was wearing a bandana-patterned dress, denim vest, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. Her dad wore a tucked in shirt in a matching bandana pattern with jeans and a cowboy hat and boots. "Vanna is right- guys, don't go humiliate yourself!" Connie and Tim were puzzled. "Well, we thought we'd fit in just fine, hon." Her dad said. "Do they expect them to be a bunch of _hillbillies_?" Sonny whispered to her sister. Vanna shrugged. "Gus, seriously- go put on some _real _clothes." Then the parents looked disappointed. "Alright, but if everyone else is dressed like this, I'm changing back." Then they ran along, not noticing Sonny behind them. Then Connie whispered to her husband, "I hope that stalled her long enough." _Hmmm….I wondered what they men? Oh, well. It's really none of my business, anyway._ After five minutes, Sonny insisted on thoroughly inspecting Tim and Connie's outfits to make sure she wouldn't get embarrassed. It was then 7:45-the gathering had been going on for 30 minutes. As they were heading out, Connie handed Sonny a big pot of green beans to contribute to the rather large dinner. Then the Munroes walked out their front door and around the building to the dock. As Connie, Tim, Brendan, and Vanna ran along to the party, Sonny saw Johnny sitting on their rock, looking out on the water. She felt so bad for him, that she decided to walk over and apologize. When she was about 50 feet away from him, suddenly someone stepped in front of her. "Sonny!" She shocked. Was she seeing things? "Chad!" The two had a big embrace, and He picked her up and swung her in a circle. "I can't believe you're here….UGH I missed you so much!" Sonny exclaimed. Then Chad revealed a beautiful bouquet of white carnations. "They're beautiful…but why'd you come here, anyway?" Sonny asked, completely forgetting that Johnny was behind them. "Well, your parents told me about the potluck, so I decided to fly over on my private jet." _Ah, I love dating a rich guy. _Sonny thought "Well, shall we?" Chad said, and they walked over to the dock holding hands. It was beautifully decorated with twinkle lights and lanterns, and was garnished with children swimming and splashing in the lake. After a couple of songs, the MC announced a slow dance, "All you pretty little ladies and _studly _cowboys, please come to the floor to participate in a _sssllllooowww _dance." Then Chad led Sonny to the middle of the 'dance floor', which was really the middle of the dock, bordered with a crowd of friendly 'cow-folk'. As Sonny put one arm on Chad's neck and the other around his waist, he pulled her closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She took in this thrilling moment: she knew there wouldn't be another quite like this for awhile. As she opened her eyes for a moment, she looked across the dance floor at all the other couples…and then she saw Johnny, dancing with another girl; a particularly attractive girl at that. Her heart sank, but then she remembered that she was in the arms of her warm-and-fuzzy, romantic, and rather handsome _Hollywood _boyfriend. _Can I really ask for more? _Sonny thought. This place sure was a lot different than Hollywood, and she knew for a fact that it would really take someone special to drag Chad out of the glamorous town for a couple nights. Sonny decided to relax, and enjoy spending time with her boyfriend; her loyal, loving boyfriend. After a minute or two, the MC announced the end of the song, and she was rather disappointed after the glorious moment. Then all of a sudden, everyone started clapping and cheering, and the MC announced the "Barnyard Hoedown', an apparently popular square dance. The jolly crowd welcomed the mayor, who would act as the caller and he started calling out the dance moves, "DoeSeeDoe your partner 'round…." As Sonny and Chad made their way to a barrel of lemonade, she said,"Awww this is so festive! I wish we knew how to square dance!" "Ah, but we do!" Sonny laughed,"What? No we do-" "Well, it just so happened that was required to learn a square dance or two for the movie, _Kentucky Dreamer_, and the Barnyard Hoedown just happened to be one of them. Come on, just hop in; I'll show ya!" before she had a chance to turn down his proposal, Chad had pushed his girlfriend into the crowd of dancers. At first, she stumbled a little bit on the moves, but then got the hang of it, and before you knew it, they were both laughing as they whirled around the dance floor. Sonny was thankful to Mayor Huckiblitz for calling out the dance steps. "Click yer heels, 1 2 3, now fellers, let yer gals spin free!" Then the couple broke apart, and Sonny twirled to Chad's right. When the dance ended, Connie came up to Sonny, tellein her how impressed she was. "Oh, that was all Chad." Then they shot each other knowing smiles. Then they took care of their unfinished business at the lemonade stand, and went to th end of the dock to look at the ducks. "Sonny, I can't tell you what a great night I've had so far. I never thought I'd like all this country stuff." Chad said. "Well, I guess what suprises me the most is that you came here, just for me!" Then he remembered something, "Yeah, about that, I have something to tell you-" Then a dancer came whirling by and hit Sonny, letting her fall into the lake. "Chad! I don't know how to swim!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Mom, please?" pleaded Sonny. "You don't understand…just let me stay there for the summer, at least. C'mon, dad. You were teenager before, _right_?" Chad Dylan Cooper and the Munroes all sat in the motel suite. Connie sighed. "I just don't think it would be _wise _to let you go parading all over LA by yourself…_all summer._" "But I wouldn't alone… I'd be with _Chaddy Waddy._" Sonny insisted, giving Chad a loving shoulder hug. Brendan and Vanna both looked at each other and said, "EWWW!" Connie and Tim nodded at each other, and Sonny wondered about her parent's telepathic way of communicating to each other. Then her dad finally spoke up. "Well, Honey, I guess what we're trying to say is, well…no." "What? C'mon! This is the least you could do for _me_ after all I've done for _you_… I mean, I gave a once in a lifetime chance to be on So Random, which pretty much let down everyone. Oh, Come on, guys! At least ell me you'll think about it!" Sonny wanted to go back to California so badly. She wanted everything to go back to the way things were, before they moved to Tennessee. "I guess we can, but where in the world would you stay? Someone else is staying in the apartment now…" Chad gave Sonny a sweet grin. "Oh, that's easy. She'll stay at my place." He said softly, as to ease Mr. and Mrs. Munroe into agreeing, as easily and painless as he could. "Well…we'll let you know at the end of the week." Tim suggested. "I don't mean to rush things, sir, but I'm leaving day after tomorrow." "Hmmm…well you would need time to pack…" he babbled to himself. "I really hope this works out." She whispered to her boyfriend. "Well," Tim switched back to his regular voice, "I guess you'll have to start packing tonight!" It took a moment for this to make sense to Sonny. "Are you kidding? Whoa! Chad can you believe it?" She leaned over to give Chad a hug, his face being equally ecstatic as hers. "I can't believe it, Sonny! You're gonna love my place, promise." Chad said, pulling away, still grasping her shoulders.

"Are you sure you got everything, hon?" Connie Munroe asked Sonny in the dim, 5;30 am light of the suite. "Mom, I'm _fine_."Sonny assured. "Alright, alright. Now go fix your hair. We will be leaving in 15 minutes." Sonny walked around the bed and into the small bathroom the whole family shared. She fumbled through the messy drawer, and finally found her curling iron. "Oh, great, the cord's in the biggest knot of all time! I guess I'll be treating myself to a glamorous ponytail today." Sonny said to herself. She threw the curling iron in her bag, and again searched through the open drawer for a brush, hair band, and bobby pins. After her hair was fixed into a high ponytail, she put on her makeup and threw that in the bag, also. She heard her mother shaking Vanna awake as Brendan whined about his 'raging headache'. "Sonny?" Vanna said as she rubbed her eyes, walking into the bathroom. "Hey, girl. How'd you sleep?" Sonny picked her sister up. "Pretty good. Will you fix my hair pretty?" "Sure, but first you have to go tell mommy to change you out of your nightgown." "Ok, I'll be right back." Then Vanna ran away, and was back in five minutes, wearing light blue shirt with an orange bird and denim shorts. Then her sister sat her up on the bathroom counter. Then Sonny took her brush out of her bag, and started brushing her golden curls. "Sonny, when will I see you and Chad again?" she asked as she brushed her hair. "Well, that's a tough question…but, dad said I have to be back before the summer's over. You don't have to worry, Van. I'll be just fine. Plus, I have Chad." Then the sisters heard a yell from the other room. "C'MON, GIRLS! IT'S TIME TO GET IN THE CAR!" Sonny then placed Vanna back on the floor, grabbed her suitcase, and rolled it to the car, Vanna following close behind.

As the two sisters slowly walked out of the little motel room and under the awning above the door, Chad was leaning on the side of the Munroe's silver Toyota mini-van. "Chad!" Vanna yelled excitedly as she ran up to him in the dim, dawn light. He squatted down to eye level with the 6 year old, and gave her a two-handed high five. "What's up, Superstar!" She gave him a big hug. "I'm gonna miss you _so _much, Chad!" Sonny thought it was cute that her little sister got along with him so well, and was glad to share Chad with her family. "Ok, Kids, pile in. You'll see Chad at the airport." Connie said as the rest of the family exited the motel. "But mom, I wanna ride with Chad in his super-cool limo! Plus, he _promised_ he would show me how to get to Level 5 on my new video game!" Brendon whined. His mother shrugged at their pouty faces. "Well, I guess that will happen later, honey. It's a long drive to the airport from here, and I am sure Chad would much be doing something other _babysitting_." Many 'Awes' were heard after this comment. "Well, actually, Mrs. Monroe, I let my valet drive the limo back so I can ride with you guys." "Oh, that's so sweet of you, Chad. Thank You!" Connie Munroe would take anything not to have to deal with whiney kids. They all crammed into the van, Parents up front, Siblings in the middle, and Chad and Sonny stuck in the back. Sonny thought it was so awkward, Chad all squished in the back of their old, banged up Toyota. He must really be trying to kiss up with the fam.

It was an hour and a half-long drive to the airport, so they all stopped at a QT in Dickson to get some snacks. "Ok, kids! Why don't you let _Uncle Chaddy_ by you a slushie!" Chad exclaimed as he helped Vanna out of her booster seat. "Yeah!" all the kids yelled with joy. "Alright, you guys go ahead in, and I'll go park the car." Tim instructed as he slid the door closed and pulled away. They were all armed with umbrellas, Chad shielding Sonny as she complained about how she hadn't worn he waterproof mascara, and that her hair would get frizzy if it wasn't kept dry. Chad patiently served her commands. Right as they swung open the glass door, they bombarded by paparazzi. Connie shrieked as she tried to comfort a crying Vanna. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" yelled Chad angrily. Just then the reporters squished their way to the front. "Is it true that you and Sonny are breaking up?" "Can you tell us why you will not be on this week's Mackenzie Falls?" "Sonny, why did you quit So Random?" Vanna wailed even louder from the bright flashes of cameras, and Brendon was shading his eyes as well. Sonny felt like screaming. "Go away! Look at what you've done! Just go away!" Sonny yelled. Then her dad walked in, with a shocked expression on his face. "Get away from my family!" With him and Chad working as a team, they were able to break up the crowd, and seeing that there was no big news, walked away. The Munroes hid out in the gas station as Chad looked for anymore paparazzi. "I'm really sorry, sir." He apologized to Mr. Munroe. "I didn't plan for this to happen." "It's alright, Chad. I trust you." Then Chad's expression changed, and he turned around to Brendon and Vanna. "Ok, who's ready for a slushy?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Wow, Chad, this is AMAZING!" Sonny Munroe exclaimed as the limo pulled up to the high-end California mansion. The home had Spanish architecture with red clay roof tiles and light brown walls. "Well, Sonny, just consider this your _Aloha _to Cali." Chad said as the car came to a stop. He excused the driver from his duties and personally opened his girlfriend's door for her. She looked around in bewilderment as stepped out of the limo and up the shaded, tile steps up to the brown door. "Hey, Chad, where are the keys-" she interrupted by a butler opening the door for her. "Well I guess that answers my question!" Chad ran across to the back to grab Sonny's luggage for her. He walked up beside Sonny, followed by another employee carrying his own luggage for him. He glanced at the butler holding the door open for him, "Thanks, Larry." The butler looked a bit confused. "It's Harry, and no problemo, Mr. Cooper." Then Chad set down Sonny's suitcase and started rolling it across the marble floors. The interior was much opposite from the outside- there was a employee playing classical music on a grand piano, not far from the entrance, and the music seemed to echo throughout the house. There were ornate statuettes and marble pillars. "Chad, I love this- but it just doesn't seem like your style." Chad smirked. "Yeah, well my parents told me I could either redecorate this outside or the inside. I figured a lot of people would want to drive by here, so you might as well strive to make a good first impression." Sonny nodded. "Good point." "Come on! I can't wait for you to see your room!" Chad and Charlie, the butler, led Sonny up the marble stair case to the 2nd level. Sonny noticed how unusually cold the rail felt on her hand, and the continuous _click, click, click _her heels made on shiny, marble floor. Chad slipped his hand into hers, and for a moment, she thought she was dreaming. She looked over at him, and he gave her one of his world famous side-grins as he effortlessly slung her suitcase onto his shoulder. Sonny took a deep breath in, and squeezed his hand. _I never want this moment to end. I don't care if I'm in the real world or not; I want it to be like this, stuck in time, forever and ever…..and then some. _She thought as she sighed out. Then Charlie started to struggle with Chad 3 suitcases, and Chad jerked his hand out of hers, just fast enough to save Charlie from serious facial reconstruction. _Well, I guess the boyfriend fairy wasn't listening in on that wish. _They had finally come to a door, right off the hallway, and entered into a large lavender room. There was a white chandelier hanging above two small, turquoise seats in front of a modern looking, white fireplace, already burning. On top of the mantel were 4 light blue, butterfly-shaped candles, accompanied by an assortment of framed pictures of Sonny and Chad. Hanging above the fireplace was a huge flat screen TV. Then in the back was a queen-sized bed with a silky, light blue comforter, and plenty of small, purple pillows with large diamonds in the middle. In the center of all the pillows was one, rather large quilted pillow that said 'Wisconsin is for Dreamers'. "Chad….how did you get my song pillow here? I thought I lost it in the move!" Sonny exclaimed. "I have a few connections…" he said in a sly way. "Well, do these certain connections happen to be living in Tennessee, and work in Marine biology?" she said with a giggle. "Shhh!" he retorted. "But really, Chad, this room…it's awesome." He gave her another side-grin. "It's all for my leading M'lady."


End file.
